A Christmas Celebration
by RPGWarrior4824
Summary: A few years after the events of ME3 Shepard and Garrus decides to invite the old crew to their Christmas party. Everybody moved on and it was time to have a reunion again. Shephard knows the perfect place to have a white Christmas. Garrus isn't looking forward to the snow and being cold, but she finds a way to convince him. It's time that the Vakarians throw their party and they'll


**Notes:**

**This is written as part of the MEFFW Secret Santa Exchange 2019 for Seleemermparis. Many thanks to Ripley95 for betaing. Thank you for all the tips and everything. This story wouldn't have turned out like this without you.**

* * *

"Is there no other place you could have picked for this?" Garrus asked as Shepard shot her target.

"It took a while for Shepard to register what Garrus was saying." Shepard's mind was on the task ahead. It was just this one mission they needed to complete, then they could have their well-deserved 1 week vacation.

"This is really not the time for this conversation, Vakarian." Shepard took cover behind a crate, popping a new clip in her assault rifle.

Garrus' mandibles spread into a smile as he got an idea. "See who gets the most shots?"

She returned his smile, "No way you'll win. Game on."

* * *

"That's not fair," Garrus said with disappointment. "You cheated."

"That's what you always say. Besides how exactly have a cheated?" she demanded.

"You distracted me with all your moving. You're doing that on purpose."

"You mean me shooting and taking cover?" with one eyebrow, she challenged him. "If you get distracted that easily I'm not sure how you could've shot well in previous missions."

"Are you saying I'm a good shot?"

"Don't push your luck." Her tone was playful.

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. "Let's go home. It's been a long day."

Shepard couldn't agree more. As far as missions typically go, this one went pretty well. In fact, it almost went too well. There was still something about it that wasn't sitting right with her, but it was out of their hands now, and not something that she needed to be worrying about anymore.

They have a week where they had nothing to worry about. A week of just each other. She'll have to share two days with the old crew, but she'll be happy to see everyone again.

* * *

For their holiday, Shepard wanted to go to Earth. There was a small town she visited years ago. She enjoyed the peace and quiet and thought it would be the perfect place. Besides, she wanted a white Christmas. With a lot of convincing and reluctance, Garrus agreed. That didn't stop him from putting up a bit of a fight, though.

"C'mon, Jane, there's much warmer places we can go to. Turians hate the cold."

Shepard wrapped her arms around Garrus. They were sitting on a couch. The datapad containing a list of all the things they needed to take care of laid next to her. "You agreed. Besides you survived Noveria. This place is nowhere near as cold."

"And I hated every second of it," he reminded her.

Shepard couldn't believe that was so long ago. It felt like another lifetime. When things looked bleary and uncertain. Hunting the rogue Spectre. She missed those times, but she was glad everything with the Reapers was over and done with.

"I know," her head leaned in closer, so close it almost touched Garrus' head. "But just think, me, you, a whole week alone. We'll stay warm and fuzzy. No work. No nothing."

She studied him. His eyes closed as he nodded thinking of the benefits. Shepard leaned in for a kiss. "We have to get going if we want to catch our shuttle in time."

Garrus hummed. The thoughts of their planned holiday keeping his mind occupied.

* * *

"What's on your head?" Garrus asked as he studied her red hair that stuck out.

Their trip went very well. The whole way down, Shepard and Garrus spent talking. Either that or snuggled up against each other, sleeping. When they arrived, they were both tired from the shuttle ride.

"It's a beanie," she explained, "It keeps my head warm."

Garrus' mandibles screwed up in confusion. "That sounds like food."

Shepard laughed. "Not food, no. It's like a hat. But it keeps me warm."

Garrus hummed, "Warm sounds good." He made it sound like a far off dream that wasn't possible. Shepard couldn't help but chuckle again.

After a few moments of silence passed, Shepard studied him. "Are you okay? You seem…"

"I'm cold. Let's just get going."

If Shepard didn't know any better, she'd say he was extremely annoyed. "Alright. Let's get our tree."

"I don't understand why we need to find a real one," he said as they walked down the street to hail a taxi. The snow was falling down on their heads.

Children were running down the street, hitting each other with snow balls. Screaming and laughing. Some were building snowmen and snow angles.

"Real ones are better." That was Shepard's way of explaining. The smell of pine would be welcome. It will brighten the atmosphere."

"I don't see the difference," Garrus shrugged.

"It'll be fun, you'll see," Shepard's hands worked the console.

The way there wasn't far. Shepard watched Garrus peek out of the shuttle's window. Seeing the piles and piles of snow that gathered up. Studying the textures of the trees and buildings.

The taxi landed. There was one large building and not another one in sight. Hundreds of trees to pick from.

When they got out of the shuttle, Garrus looked lost. He wasn't sure where to begin.

"Let's start," Shepard nudged him.

"This is going to take a long time, isn't it?"

* * *

The next couple of days, Shepard and Garrus shopped for fairy lights, Christmas decorations, and eggnog ingredients.

"What's this?" Garrus pointed at the thing above his head

"It's called a mistletoe." Shepard leaned in and kissed him. But the look that Garrus gave her when they broke the kiss was beyond confused. His eyes asking what had just happened.

"When two people are under this, they should kiss."

Garrus hummed in understanding. "But why?"

She shrugged, "It's tradition."

Shepard moved towards the table. The fairy lights were spread out on it. Garrus and Shepard took more time than they liked to untangle it. Or more like Garrus did. At some point she was so frustrated she wanted to throw something, but talons took it from her hands and assured her he'll figure it out.

"So what?" he continued to ask. "You want the crew to kiss each other?"

Shepard laughed, she couldn't help it. "I just put it up because it's tradition. But," she pointed a finger, showing her seriousness. "Be warned there will be kissing under the mistletoe."

He moved to where her hands were beginning to work the fairy lights. "Well then," arms pulled her closer to his body, "as long as it's you, I'm happy to kiss under it." This time he kissed her. The kiss lasting longer than the previous one.

"Garrus," she was still in his arms, "We should finish setting up."

"Right." They broke loose.

It didn't take them long to set up the fairy lights. One set was placed over the balcony's railings.

"Is it fine like this?" Garrus asked, not being sure if they did it the right way.

"Yes," Shepard confirmed, "We just need to switch it on.

He nodded his head as he went back in. Shepard was staring outside. It was another day where the snow had fallen. The view before her was gorgeous. There were mountains as far as her eyes could see. The sun beginning to set, painting the sky with a mix of red and orange.

Tomorrow was another early day where Shepard and Garrus would spend their time on their feet cooking for their guests. The old crew would arrive at night.

It was sad…but unfortunately, not everyone could come. Over the years, she heard less and less of the crew.

The cabin was small. There was space for two more people to sleep over but she and Garrus wanted their privacy. The crew would sleep in other places in town.

She was still lost in her own thoughts when she heard Garrus' footsteps. Shepard didn't even realized the fairy lights were switched on.

The lights decorated the balcony and it looked beautiful. Garrus looked in awe, and she couldn't help but smile. They both needed this break.

It reminded her of the datapad that laid safely in her bag. If she got time, she wanted to glance at it. Maybe there was something she missed. Something still bothered her about their last mission and she promised she wouldn't do anything work related, but…she couldn't help it. It was just the way she was.

"Where are you?"

The question was clear. She looked up to him and smiled. He was wondering what she was thinking about. "Just thinking." Shepard shook the thoughts off mentally. "What do you think?"

"The fairy lights were a good touch," Garrus remarked.

When they went shopping, Shepard wasn't sure if they should add it as well. The cabin was already filled with Christmas decorations but the turian of her dreams said he saw it in a vid. They placed it on a balcony and he thought it was something they would both like. He was definitely right about that.

Shepard nodded in agreement.

His mandibles spread into a smile as he got an idea. Shepard knew him long enough to know the look he got when this happens.

"What?"

"Let's watch one of those Christmas vids," he suggested. The remnants of a smile was still visible at the edges of his mandibles.

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll go make some popcorn, graxen and myself some hot chocolate."

* * *

Shepard and Garrus enjoyed the vid together, snuggling against each other. While Shepard made the food and prepared their beverages, he got the blankets, already knowing that one of them would pass out.

The previous night it was Shepard, but this time it was Garrus. His head was on her shoulder, sleeping soundly. She enjoyed watching him sleep.

When the credits of the vid ran, Shepard untangled her arm from him. She got up slowly, making sure not to wake Garrus. When the couch creaked, she froze, but luckily her movements didn't wake him up.

She walked towards their room, the wooden floors under her feet creaking. She was glad she chose this cabin. It was an old cabin, one of the few things that didn't need to be rebuilt after the war.

The door slid open and she went in as quietly as possible. The room was nice and cosy. Warm. She went to where her bag was and got the datapad out. It wasn't long until she activated it and it spilled words out that her eyes could scan.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, cross-legged on their bed when she heard the door open. Her heart sank as she knew she was in trouble.

"What the hell are you doing?" Garrus demanded, but the bite in his voice wasn't strong enough.

"I'm just…"

"Jane," she thought it was a good sign that he used her first name instead of her last. "We came here to relax." His talons snatched up the datapad. She looked as his eyes scanned words hers did moments ago.

He hummed. "Just as I thought." Garrus looked at her again, "I know how you feel about this mission," the datapad bounced on the bed as he threw it without force. "But we both agreed, no work."

It was a reminder that this trip was about the two of them, and Shepard knew he was right.

She could wait a few more days to continue this. There was no pressure.

* * *

Shepard stretched as the sun shone sharply in her eyes. When she looked at her omni-tool for the time, she saw it was already 7:00. It was the first day that she slept in that late.

Her hands felt for a turian who wasn't there, and she realized he must've woken up before her.

Shepard slipped out of the bed and headed to the kitchen. Her nose smelled it before her eyes saw it. The smell of bacon and coffee reached her nose, and she stopped to take it all in.

She heard the eggs and bacon sizzling on the hot stove. The sound of it made her mouth water and her stomach gave an angry growl, telling her that she was hungry.

"Morning," she hugged him from the back and placed a kiss on one of his mandibles.

"Morning sleepyhead," he said as his eyes never left the pan he was holding.

Shepard rubbed her eyes. They was still full of sleep and grabbed her mug of coffee. She knew it was hers and not Garrus' dextro hot beverage because it was the mug he's been pouring her coffee in all week. She tasted the coffee, and smiled as she savoured it.

"You're making breakfast?" the obvious question left her lips.

"Garrus hummed his answer. "I thought you could sleep in."

"You should have woken me up. I would've helped you." Every meal they made together. Spending time together like this.

"You," he grabbed her, swirled her around, forcing Shepard to look at him, "go sit on the couch. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

After breakfast, they got ready for the day and started cooking levo and dextro meals that their guests would enjoy. They started with the main meals and when that was done, made desserts and snacks.

When Shepard finally looked at the time again, it was almost time for their guests to start arriving.

Music was playing. The Christmas tree's lights blinked. Red and white lights making turns to shine. All the different smells of the food mixing with the smell of pine.

It wasn't long until there was the sound of a chime. The video feed on the door turning on, showing who was on their doorstep.

The door slid open and the first thing Shepard saw was the black boots that belonged to Miranda.

"Shepard," Miranda greeted as they hugged, "Damn it's cold. Couldn't you have picked a warmer place?"

"That's what I said!" Garrus exclaimed. Shepard shot him a look and whatever he wanted to say disappeared from his mouth plates.

"Get yourself an eggnog," she showed their guest where the kitchen is.

"Whoa," blue eyes studied the cabin. Looking from the Christmas tree to the mistletoe. "You really went all out."

One by one, all their guests arrived.

With glasses clinging, and people speaking over each other, the party was now well under way. Words poured nonstop. Everyone missed each other. It wasn't just a Christmas party, it was a reunion as well.

"Nice eggnog you've got, Shepard," Joker threw out his arm in a cheers.

When it was dinner time, they set the table outside.

"Really Shepard? You want me to freeze to death?" Garrus complained.

"Oh come on, Garrus," Wrex hit him with a claw. "It's not that bad. I thought you'd be less of a coward than this."

Outside, carols were sung by people. It had the best atmosphere they could ask for. This was what Shepard wanted. To be with her family. For work to be the farthest thing from her mind for once, as hard as that might have been for her. And last but not least, to be with the man she loves. She couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.


End file.
